Researchers at Berkeley Lab have used one of the most advanced microscopes in the world to reveal the structure of a large protein complex crucial to photosynthesis, the process by which plants convert sunlight into cellular energy. The finding, published in the journal Nature, will allow scientists to explore, for the first time, how the complex functions and could have implications for the production of a variety of bioproducts, including plastic alternatives and biofuels.
Beyond the WIMP: Unique Crystals Could Expand the Search for Dark Matter
A new particle detector design proposed at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Berkeley Lab could greatly broaden the search for dark matter – which makes up 85 percent of the total mass of the universe yet we don’t know what it’s made of – into an unexplored realm.
Possible New RNA Engineering Tool
Berkeley Lab researchers have shown that complexes of proteins touted for their potential use as a tool for editing DNA might also serve as an engineering tool for RNA, the molecule that translates DNA’s genetic instructions into the production of proteins.
New Discovery in Living Cell Signaling
A breakthrough discovery into how living cells process and respond to chemical information could help advance the development of treatments for a large number of cancers and other cellular disorders that have been resistant to therapy.
New Details on Microtubules and How the Anti-Cancer Drug Taxol Works
Berkeley Lab researchers have produced images of microtubule assembly and disassembly at the unprecedented resolution of 5 angstroms, providing new insight into the success of the anti-cancer drug Taxol and pointing the way to possible improvements.
Berkeley Lab Researchers Demonstrate First Size-based Chromatography Technique for the Study of Living Cells
Using nanodot technology, Berkeley Lab researchers demonstrated the first size-based form of chromatography for studying the membranes of living cells. This unique physical approach to probing cellular membrane structures reveals critical information that can’t be obtained through conventional microscopy.
Berkeley Lab’s Adam Arkin Wins 2013 Lawrence Award
Adam Arkin, director of Berkeley Lab’s Physical Biosciences Division, has been named one of six recipients of the 2013 Ernest Orlando Lawrence Award by U.S. Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz.